Senate Bill 375
SB 375 (Steinberg), signed into law in September 2008, builds on the goals of AB 32 by attempting to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through limiting suburban sprawl. By September 2010, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will have assigned each region in California a target for reducing GHGs tied to land use. California metropolitan planning organizations are required to address these targets in mandatory Sustainable Communities Strategies (SCS) as part of the regional transportation plan. The purpose of the SCS plans is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with global climate change by improving the efficiency of land use and transportation patterns. SB 375 attempts to tie together climate change, regional planning, transportation funding and affordable housing. The bill requires:
- Creation of regional targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions tied to land use, as assigned by CARB.
- Adoption by regional planning agencies of Sustainable Communities Strategies that meet the targets.
- Regional transportation funding decisions consistent with the SCS.
- Connection of the regional transportation plan with the fair-share housing process.
- Streamlining the environmental analysis of certain projects that conform to the SCS.
In addition, SB 375 creates incentives for creating walkable, sustainable, transit-oriented communities, including certain exemptions from the California Environmental Quality Act. Implications of SB 375 and the SCS:
- Federal transportation funding linkage to sustainable development
- Changes to housing law
- Regional housing needs assessment (RHNA) must be consistent with SCS
- RHNA/housing element updates conducted on an 8-year cycle
- Housing element rezones completed within 3 years of element certification
- Limits ability to deny certain affordable housing projects
- Could change LAFCo review of sphere of influence expansions and annexations
- City expansions that are inconsistent with the SCS could be difficult
Review of agency roles under SB 375:
- CARB establishes emission reduction targets
- Broad interest committee to provide guidance to CARB
- Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) prepare Sustainable Communities Strategies to achieve CARB targets
- CARB verifies SCSs will achieve targets
- MPOs prepare regional transportation plans consistent with their SCS
- California Department of Housing and Community Development coordinates its RHNA process with the regional SCS
